Poor, but sexy

Or so the recent advertising campaign goes...

I have been struggling with writing this post from the moment we flew back in to Edinburgh. And not for lack of inspiration.

Berlin is amazing. There really is something incredibly sexy about a city that has been rebuilding and renewing itself for over 60 years... Something dynamic, something very vibrant and alive. Berlin is the embodiment of a city with a truly genuine lifeforce that exists and breathes at the core of every building, every park, every citizen of this magnificent town.

So no, inspiration is definitely not a problem.

We spent an entire day on a cycle tour of the city, stopping to take in pieces of history (from Babelplatz, where Hitler held book burnings, to Checkpoint Charlie, where Russian and American tanks faced off through a small gap in the Berlin wall, all the way back to the Brandenburg Gate, which Napoleon's armies marched through in 1806), enjoy a beer and a bratwurst in a beer garden, and soak in some of the glorious weather that graced most of our trip.

There was a day of sunburn out in Potsdam, ambling between a series of beautiful palaces set in a sprawling manicured park which was just beginning to burst with the life of Springtime.

The Jewish Memorial for victims of the Holocaust moved many to tears, and left us silent for an age. Stories of misery and daring escapes sparkled in my mind as I walked through The House at Checkpoint Charlie, a museum dedicated to the people's struggles against (and through and over and under) the Berlin Wall.

My stomach enjoyed every moment of the fine international cuisine, as did my wallet enjoy the reasonable prices offered for great food and friendly service to match.

And the sunshine... Oh the sunshine! I spent 4 of our 6 days in just a t-shirt, with a very light jumper for the mornings and evenings. In fact, we spent almost 2 hours of our first day in Berlin just dozing on the grass in front of some of Berlin's finest old buildings, watching students stretch out with books, basking in the sun's warmth, and listening to the loud singing of some young Italian tourists.

You see, there is just so much to write about! And then there is the city itself, regardless of our travels.

A city that is almost 800 years old, which has served as the capital city of some of the world's most influential nations - from the proud Kingdom of Prussia, to the powerful German Empire, to modern-day Germany - Berlin is a city with a unique history and an enrapturing story. The Brandenburg Gate hosted Napoleon, saw the return of successful Prussian armies, farewelled troops of the German Empire into World War I and II. The Reichstag survived through the tumultuous times of the Weimar Republic, only to be gutted by a fire during Hitler's rise to power at the head of the National Socialists, and then stood dormant, powerless, watching the rapid rebuilding and then the devastating destruction of the city around it as history took her course. Potsdamer Platz was once Europe's busiest traffic intersection before it was practically cleft in two by opposing ideologies occupying opposite halves of one city.

And still the people of Berlin survived. Berlin's wounds are fresh, and her scars are deep, and the pain of the past is visible everywhere you turn. But the scars are beautiful, the wounds are closing over, and the pain is healing, leaving behind a trail of character, learning and progression. And today the people of Berlin continue, shaped by an incredible past, and moving forwards in an equally unique direction.

Anyone visiting Berlin would find themselves filled with inspiration. You could walk the streets of Berlin blindfolded and still come home with stories to tell. You could block out all the sounds of the city and still return singing the praises of one of Europe's most special places.

But how do you even begin to do it in such a way that does justice to this strangely encompassing experience?

That is the thing about Berlin. It is an experience. And there is no way that words or pictures, alone or combined, could do it justice. I cannot think of a single medium which can convey the soul-touching energy of Berlin.

All I can do is beg of you, each and every one of you, please, please visit Berlin. Actually no, don't visit it. Berlin isn't a place to be visited. It is a place to be challenged, to be given a chance, to be congratulated, to be breathed in, to be seen, to be experienced. I can guarantee that you will walk away with something in return.

Berlin may be financially poor. But she really is oh so sexy, in all the best and worst ways.